Pivoting hitch system for trailer

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a trailer hitch system that is configured to rotate to a stowing position and an operating position. When in the operational position, a coupler arm of the trailer is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the trailer so that the coupler arm contributes to the length of the trailer. When in the stowing position, the coupler arm of the trailer is bent at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the trailer so that the coupling arm does not contribute to the overall length of the trailer.

REFERENCE TO PRIORITY DOCUMENTS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.11/811,061, filed Jun. 8, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,600,773 by DanaStettler, entitled “Pivoting Hitch System for Trailer,” which is acontinuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/219,076, filed Sep. 1,2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,237,791, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 10/382,072, filed Mar. 5, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No.7,021,645, which claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e)to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/361,868, filed Mar. 5, 2002.The subject matter of each of the above-noted applications and filingdates are incorporated by reference in their entirety by referencethereto.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to boat trailers. More particularly, thepresent invention relates to a rotating trailer hitch for a boattrailer.

2. Description of the Related Art

For towing purposes, user of boats will position the boat atop a boattrailer during transport of the boat. The boat trailer typicallyincludes a main, support section that is sized to support the entireboat. Thus, the support section is typically at least as long as theentire length of the boat. A towing arm typically extends forwardly fromthe support section such that the towing arm increases the overalllength of the trailer. The towing arm can be attached to a towingvehicle using a hitch. Due to the size requirements of the supportsection and the towing arm, the boat trailer is usually longer than theboat that it carries. As a result, storing certain sized boats and theirtrailers in a confined space, such as in the boat owner's garage, can bedifficult, if not impossible. This storage constraint often forces somepeople to buy smaller boats, as they do not have access to storage spacethat is large enough to contain the large trailer.

On the other hand, many boaters have a near fanatical devotion to theirsport and refuse to sacrifice the size of the boat in order toaccommodate a small storage space. Consequently, some boaters resort toexpensive and time consuming measures in order to store a boat of adesired size. For example, some boaters have been known to enlarge thesizes of their garage spaces in order to create sufficient room to storeboats indoors.

Other boaters may purchase specialized boat trailers where the front ofthe trailer, specifically the front towing arm area, can be adjusted insize to fit within small areas. There currently exist trailers withhinged towing arms that swing out of the way to a stowing position whennot in use, so that the towing arm does not increase the overall lengthof the trailer when the trailer is in storage. Such devices use tubesthat are welded or glued to the sides of a trailer front arm. The tubesare aligned with one or more holes on plates positioned on a rotatingtowing arm. A pin is then inserted into the tubes and the holes of theplates such that the pin acts as an axis of rotation to permit thetowing arm to be rotated to the stowing position when not in use. Theprocess of welding the tubes and plates to the towing arm and trailerarms can be time consuming, which can add to the overall manufacturingcost of the trailer. In addition, the welds between the tubes and thetrailer arms can acts as a point of failure for the towing trailer ifthe welds are not strong enough to properly secure the tubes to thetrailer.

In view of the foregoing, there is a need for an improved pivotingtrailer hitch.

SUMMARY

Disclosed is a hitch system for a boat trailer, comprising a rotatablecoupler arm that can be hitched to a towing vehicle. The coupler armincludes a first coupler knuckle integrally formed on a first side ofthe coupler arm, wherein an elongate first shaft extends through thefirst coupler knuckle. The hitch system further includes a trailer frontarm attached to the boat trailer. The trailer front arm includes a firsttrailer knuckle integrally formed on a first side of the trailer frontarm, wherein an elongate second shaft extends through the first trailerknuckle. The trailer arm is positioned relative to the coupler arm suchthat the first shaft in the first coupler knuckle co-axially aligns withthe second shaft in the first trailer knuckle so that the first andsecond shafts collectively form a single, elongate rotator shaft. Therotator shaft is sized to receive a rotator pin. The coupler arm canrotate about the rotator pin when the rotator pin is positioned in therotator shaft. Also disclosed is a boat trailer that includes thedisclosed hitch system.

Other features and advantages of the present invention should beapparent from the following description of various embodiments, whichillustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a boat trailer that incorporates a trailerhitch system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a front, perspective, exploded view of the trailer hitchsystem.

FIG. 3 is a front, perspective view of a section of the trailer hitchsystem in an operational state.

FIG. 4 is a front, perspective view of a section of the trailer hitchsystem in a stowing state.

FIG. 5 is a top view of a section of the trailer hitch system in anoperational state.

FIG. 6 is a top view of a section of the trailer hitch system in astowing state.

FIG. 7 is a right-side view of a section of the trailer hitch system inan operational state.

FIG. 8 is a left-side view of a section of the trailer hitch system inan operational state.

FIG. 9 is a top view of another embodiment of the trailer hitch system.

FIG. 10 is a left-side view of a section of the trailer hitch system ofFIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a right-side view of a section of the trailer hitch system ofFIG. 9.

FIG. 12 is a top view of another embodiment of the trailer hitch system.

FIG. 13 is a left-side view of a section of the trailer hitch system ofFIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a right-side view of a section of the trailer hitch system ofFIG. 12.

FIG. 15 is a side view of yet another embodiment of the trailer hitchsystem.

FIG. 16 is a left-side view of yet another embodiment of the trailerhitch system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a boat trailer 100 that incorporates atrailer hitch system 105 of the present invention. A front end of thetrailer 100 includes the trailer hitch system 105, which is configuredto rotate to a stowing position and an operating position in accordancewith one aspect of the invention, as described below. When in theoperational position, a coupler arm of the trailer 100 is aligned withthe longitudinal axis of the trailer so that the coupler arm contributesto the length of the trailer, as described in more detail below. When inthe stowing position, the coupler arm of the trailer 100 is bent at anangle relative to the longitudinal axis of the trailer so that thecoupling arm does not contribute to the overall length of the trailer100.

The trailer 100 includes a support section 110 that is configured tosupport a boat in a well-known manner. The support section 110 generallycomprises a frame that includes a plurality of interconnected trussesthat are arranged to provide support to a boat. Those skilled in the artwill appreciate that the support section 105 can have a variety ofstructural configurations that support a boat in any of a wide varietyof manners.

With reference to FIG. 1, the trailer hitch system 105 includes anelongate trailer tongue or front arm 115 that extends forwardly from thesupport section 110 of the trailer 100. The front arm 115 isrotatably-attached to an elongate, rotatable coupler arm 120, asdescribed more fully below. The coupler arm 120 has a front end on whichis located a coupler device 125, such as a hitch, that can removablymate with a towing vehicle (not shown) in a well-known manner for towingthe trailer 100. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the couplerarm 120 is a brake actuator cover that has an outer member and an innermember.

FIG. 2 is a front, exploded, perspective view of a section of the hitchsystem 105. FIG. 3 is a front, perspective view of a section of thehitch system 105 in the operational state. FIG. 4 is a front,perspective view of a section of the hitch system 105 in the stowingstate. For clarity of illustration, the coupler arm 120 is shown cut ata forward end and the trailer front arm 115 is shown cut at a rear end.It should be appreciated that the actual coupler arm 120 can extendforwardly and terminate at the coupler device 125 and that the actualtrailer front arm 115 can extends rearwardly and connect to the supportsection 110 of the trailer 100, as shown in FIG. 1. Alternately, thehitch system can be as shown in FIGS. 2-4. In such a case, the trailerfront arm portion of the hitch system can be attached to an actualtrailer front arm, such as by using a weld or using bolts, and thecoupler arm portion can be attached a coupler arm.

The trailer hitch system 105 is configured such that the coupler arm 120can rotatably move between an operating position (shown in perspectivein FIG. 3 and top-down in FIG. 5) and a stowing position (shown inperspective in FIG. 4 and top-down in FIG. 6). In the operatingposition, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, the coupler arm 120 and thetrailer front arm 115 are substantially aligned so that they both extendalong a common longitudinal axis 205 of the trailer 100. In the stowingposition, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6, the elongate coupler arm 120 isoriented such that the longitudinal axis of the coupler arm 120 istransverse to the longitudinal axis 205 of the trailer 100. The couplerarm 120 is moved to the stowing position by rotating the coupler armabout an axis of rotation 210, as described more fully below. (The axisof rotation can also be located at the axis 212 of FIG. 3, depending onthe positioning of a rotation pin, as described below).

With reference to FIGS. 2-4, the trailer front arm 115 includes anelongate main body that is shown having a substantially rectangularcross-sectional shape, although the trailer front arm 115 can have othercross-sectional shapes. The trailer front arm 115 has a frontward hingeportion. The hinge portion includes at least one trailer knuckle 225,the knuckle(s) comprising solid protrusions 350 that extend outwardlyfrom the hinge portion of the trailer front arm 115. The trailerknuckle(s) 225 mates with corresponding coupler knuckle(s) 325 on thecoupler arm 120 in order to enable the coupler arm 120 to rotate aboutthe axis of rotation 210, as described below. The knuckles of the hitchsystem 105 are shown and described as having rounded outer shapes, whichfacilitates rotational movement of the coupler arm 120, although itshould be appreciated that the outer shape of the knuckles can vary. Asdescribed further below, the quantity of trailer knuckles and couplerknuckles, as well as the relative positions and locations of the trailerknuckles and coupler knuckles, can vary.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2-4, the trailer front arm 115 includestwo left trailer knuckles 225 a, 225 b that are both located on a leftside of the trailer front arm 115. Elongate, internal shafts 240 a, 240b extend through the left knuckles 225 a, 225 b, respectively, as bestshown in FIGS. 2-3. The elongate, internal shafts 240 a, 240 b extendthrough the knuckles 225 a, 225 b such that the internal shafts 240 a,240 b are both co-axially aligned along a common axis 212 (shown in FIG.3). The internal shafts 240 a, 240 b have rounded or circular contours,although it should be appreciated that the shafts can have other typesof contours.

With reference to FIG. 2, each of the left trailer knuckles 225 a, 225 bare formed by a sloped surface 242 that slopes outwardly from a sidesurface of the trailer front arm 115. The sloped surfaces 242 of thetrailer knuckles 225 a, 225 b transition into curved outer surfaces toprovide the trailer knuckles 225 a, 225 b with a smooth, rounded shapethat facilitates rotation of the coupler arm to the stowing position, asdescribed below. The left trailer knuckles 225 a, 225 b are integrallyformed with the trailer front arm 115 so that the trailer front arm 115and trailer knuckles 225 a, 225 b comprise a single piece of material,rather than separate pieces of material for the trailer front arm 115and the knuckles. Such an arrangement facilitates a secure structuralarrangement that does not require any welds or adhesive to attach theknuckles to the arm.

With reference to FIG. 2, the left trailer knuckle 225 a is located ator near a top edge of the trailer front arm 115 and the left trailerknuckle 225 b is located at or near a bottom edge of the trailer frontarm 115 so that the left trailer knuckles 225 a and 225 b define a space305 therebetween. Thus, the internal shafts 240 a, 240 b have a gaptherebetween, the size of the gap being defined by the size of the space305 between the top, left trailer knuckle 225 a and the bottom, lefttrailer knuckle 225 b.

With reference still to FIG. 2, the trailer front arm 115 also includesat least one right trailer knuckle 310 that is disposed on a right sideof the trailer front arm 115. The right trailer knuckle 310 is locatedcentrally on the right side of the trailer front arm 115. That is, theright trailer knuckle 310 is not located on the top or bottom edge ofthe trailer front arm 115, although in other embodiments, the positionof the right trailer knuckle 310 can be varied, as described below. Aninternal shaft 245 extends through the right trailer knuckle 310,wherein the internal shaft 245 axially aligns with an internal shaft ofcorresponding coupler knuckles on the coupler arm 120 when the couplerarm is mated with the trailer front arm, as described below.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 4, the coupler arm 120 includes anelongate main body. The coupler arm 120 has a rearward hinge portionthat is located adjacent the hinge portion of the trailer front arm 115.The coupler arm 120 includes at least one coupler knuckle, such as oneor more left coupler knuckles 325 and one or more right coupler knuckles330. As discussed above with reference to the trailer knuckles, thecoupler knuckles 325, 330 comprise solid protrusions 350 that extendoutwardly from the hinge portion of the coupler arm 120. The couplerknuckles are formed by sloped surfaces 335 that slope outwardly from arespective side surface of the coupler arm 120. The sloped surfaces 335of the coupler knuckles 325, 330 transition into curved outer surfacesto provide the coupler knuckles 325, 330 with smooth, rounded shapesthat substantially mirror the shapes of the trailer knuckles 225, 310.

As mentioned, the quantity of coupler knuckles and the positions of thecoupler knuckles relative to one another and the trailer knuckles canvary. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2-4, the coupler arm 120 includesa single left coupler knuckle 325 that is centrally located on the left,rear side of the coupler arm. An elongate, internal shaft 340 (shown inFIGS. 2 and 4) extends through the left coupler knuckle. The leftcoupler knuckle 325 has a size and shape that permits the left couplerknuckle 325 to fit within the space 305 that is located between the lefttrailer knuckles 225 a, 225 b.

As shown in FIG. 3 (and schematically in FIG. 8), when the coupler arm120 is in the operating position, the left coupler knuckle 325 ispositioned within the space 305 between the left trailer knuckles 225 a,225 b such that the internal shaft 340 of the left coupler knuckle 325co-axially aligns with the internal shafts 240 a, 240 b of the lefttrailer knuckles 225 a, 225 b. Thus, the internal shafts 240 a, 240 b ofthe left trailer knuckles 225 a, 225 b and the internal shaft 340 of theleft coupler knuckle 325 collectively form a single, elongate shaft thatcan receive a pin, as described below. The single, elongate shaft formedby the internal shafts 240 a, 240 b, and 340 defines the axis 212 (shownin FIG. 3).

With reference again to FIGS. 2 and 4, the coupler arm 120 furtherincludes at least one right coupler knuckle 330 located on the rightside of the coupler arm. In the illustrated embodiment, there are tworight coupler knuckles 330, including a right coupler knuckle 330 alocated at or near a top edge of the coupler arm 120, and a rightcoupler knuckle 330 b located at or near a bottom edge of the couplerarm 120. The right coupler knuckles 330 a, 330 b each has an elongate,internal shaft 345 a, 345 b, respectively, (shown in FIG. 7). Theinternal shafts 345 a, 345 b are co-axially aligned with one another.Additionally, the elongate, internal shafts 345 a, 345 b define the axisof rotation 212 of the coupler arm 120.

As shown in FIG. 4 (also shown schematically in FIG. 7), the rightcoupler knuckle 330 a and the right coupler knuckle 330 b define a spacetherebetween, wherein the space is sized to receive the right trailerknuckle 310 when the coupler arm 120 is mated with the trailer front arm115. When the right trailer knuckle 310 is positioned within the spacebetween the right coupler knuckles 330 a, 330 b, the elongate, internalshafts 345 a, 345 b of the right coupler knuckles 330 a, 330 b arecoaxially aligned with the internal shaft 245 of the right trailerknuckle 310. Thus, the elongate, internal shafts 345 a, 345 b of theright coupler knuckles 330 a, 330 b and the elongate shaft of the righttrailer knuckle 310 collectively form a single, elongate rotator shaftthat is aligned with the axis of rotation 210. As described below, arotator pin 605 can be inserted into this shaft to retain the couplerarm 120 to the trailer front arm 115.

As mentioned, the knuckles are integrally formed with their respectivearms such that the arms and knuckles comprise a single piece ofmaterial, rather than separate pieces of material for the arm and theknuckles. For example, the trailer knuckles are integrally formed withthe trailer front arm 115 so that the trailer front arm 115 and thevarious trailer knuckles are formed of a unitary piece of material.Likewise, the coupler knuckles are integrally formed with the couplerarm 120 so that the coupler arm 120 and the various coupler knuckles areformed of a unitary piece of material. Such an arrangement facilitates asecure structure that does not require any welds or adhesive to attachthe knuckles to the respective arms. In one embodiment, the coupler armand the coupler knuckles are manufactured by molding the coupler armsand the coupler knuckles using a mold, such as by an injection moldingprocess. Where a mold is used, the entire hinge portions of the trailerfront arm (including the trailer knuckles and at least a portion of thetrailer front arm) can be injection molded as a single piece. Thecoupler arm of the hitch system can be similarly manufactured. In oneembodiment, the hitch system 105 is manufactured of steel, such as acast steel, stainless steel, or a mild steel. Other materials can alsobe used to manufacture the hitch system.

FIG. 5 shows a top view of the hitch system 105 with the coupler arm 120in the operating position. As discussed, the coupler arm 120 and thetrailer front arm 115 are substantially aligned along the longitudinalaxis 205 of the trailer 100 when the coupler arm 120 is in the operatingposition. The hinge portion of the trailer front arm 115 and the hingeportion of the coupler arm 120 can have complimenting shapes that do notinterfere with one another when the coupler arm is in the operatingposition. Thus, the trailer knuckles and the coupler knuckles are shapedand positioned such that the knuckles do not scrape or abut one anotherwhen the coupler arm 120 is in the operating position or when thecoupler arm is moved between the operating position and the stowingposition. In this regard, the coupler knuckles and the trailer knucklescan have various shapes and positions on their respective arms thatfacilitate mating of the front trailer arm 115 and the coupler arm 120.

FIG. 6 shows a top, schematic view of the hitch system 105 with thecoupler arm 120 in the stowing position. For clarity of illustration,some structural details of the hitch system 105 have been omitted fromFIG. 6. As mentioned, the longitudinal axis of the coupler arm 120 isoriented transverse to the longitudinal axis 205 of the trailer when thecoupler arm 120 is in the stowing position. The coupler arm 120 is movedto the stowing position by rotating the coupler arm 120 about an axis ofrotation 210 that is defined by a pin that is positioned within theinternal shaft axes of the right coupler knuckles 330 and the righttrailer knuckle 310, as described in more detail below. Thus, as shownin FIG. 6, the coupler arm 120 rotates toward the side of the trailerfront arm 115. It should be appreciated that the orientation andposition of the trailer and coupler knuckles can be changed so that thecoupler arm 120 rotates in an upward or downward direction when thecoupler arm is moved to the stowing position.

FIG. 7 shows a right-side, schematic view of the trailer hitch system105 with the coupler arm 120 in the operating position. As discussedabove, the right trailer knuckle 310 is positioned in the space formedbetween the right coupler knuckles 330 a, 330 b. The internal shafts 345a, 345 b, and 245 are co-axially aligned so that they collectively forma single rotator shaft, in which a rotator pin 605 can be fixedly orremovably positioned. The rotator pin 605 has a diameter that is smallerthan the diameter of the rotator shaft, in order to permit some playbetween the pin 605 and the rotator shaft and thereby permit the couplerarm 120 to rotate about the pin 605. In this regard, the pin 605 and therotator shaft define the axis of rotation 210 about which the couplerarm rotates to transition between the operating position and the stowingposition.

FIG. 8 shows a schematic, left-side view of the hitch system 105 withthe coupler arm 120 in the operating position. When the coupler arm 120is in the operating position, the left coupler knuckle 325 is positionedwithin the space between the left trailer knuckles 225 a, 225 b. Inaddition, the internal shaft 340 of the left coupler knuckle 325co-axially aligns with the internal shafts 240 a, 240 b of the lefttrailer knuckles 225 a, 225 b, such that the shafts collectively form asingle detent shaft. A detent pin 710 can be removably inserted into thesingle detent shaft when the coupler arm 120 is in the operatingposition, as exhibited by the arrow 712 in FIG. 8. The detent pin 710has a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the detent shaft topermit the detent pin 710 to be inserted and removed from the detentshaft without catching on the internal walls of the detent shaft. Therespective sizes of the diameters of the detent pin 710 and detent shaftcan be varied depending on the amount of play desired between the detentpin 710 and the detent shaft.

With reference to FIG. 8, when the detent pin 710 is positioned into thedetent shaft, the detent pin 710 acts as a detent to effectively lockthe left coupler knuckle 325 in place with respect to the left trailerknuckles 225 a, 225 b. Thus, the detent pin 710 can be inserted into thedetent shaft to lock the coupler arm 120 in the operating position andprevent the coupler arm 120 from being rotated to the stowing position.The detent pin 710 can then be removed from the detent shaft to permitthe left coupler knuckle 325 to move out of the space between the lefttrailer knuckles 225 a, 225 b. This will allow the coupler arm to berotated about the axis of rotation 210 (as exhibited by the rotationalarrow 505 in FIG. 6) and moved to the stowing position.

As mentioned, the relative positions of the trailer knuckles and thecoupler knuckles can be varied. For example, the trailer front arm 115can have two left trailer knuckles and a single right trailer knuckle,which mate with the two right coupler knuckles and the single leftcoupler knuckle on the coupler arm, as was described above withreference to FIG. 2-8. In other embodiments, the trailer front arm has asingle left trailer knuckle and two right trailer knuckles, while thecoupler arm has two left coupler knuckles and a single right couplerknuckle. In yet another embodiment, the trailer front arm has two lefttrailer knuckles and two right trailer knuckles, which mate with asingle left coupler knuckle and a single right coupler knuckle on thecoupler arm (or vice-versa). The foregoing are merely examples orarrangements of the trailer knuckles and coupler knuckles and it shouldbe appreciated that other arrangements are possible.

FIGS. 9-11 show yet another embodiment of the trailer hitch system 105.As in FIGS. 6-8, certain structural details have been omitted forclarity of illustration. As shown in the left-side view of FIG. 10, thetrailer front arm 115 has a pair of left trailer knuckles 225 a, 225 bthat are disposed on the top and bottom of the trailer front arm 115.The coupler arm 120 has a central left coupler knuckle 325 that fitsbetween the left trailer knuckles 225 a, 225 b. As shown in theright-side view of FIG. 11, the trailer front arm 115 also has a pair ofright trailer knuckles 310 a, 310 b (with internal shafts 245 a, 245,respectively) that are disposed on the top and bottom of the trailerfront arm 115. The coupler arm 120 has a central right coupler knuckle330 (with internal shaft 345) that fits between the right trailerknuckles 310 a, 310 b. FIG. 11 shows the retaining shaft (collectivelyformed by the internal shafts 245 a, 245 b and 345) without the rotatorpin 605 mounted.

FIGS. 12-14 show yet another embodiment of the trailer hitch system 105wherein the respective positions of the trailer knuckles and the couplerknuckles differ from the previous embodiments. As shown in the left-sideview of FIG. 13, the coupler arm 120 has a pair of left coupler knuckles325 a, 325 b (with internal shafts 340 a, 340 b, respectively) that aredisposed on the top and bottom of the coupler arm 120. The trailer frontarm 115 has a central left trailer knuckle 225 (with internal shaft 240)that fits between the left coupler knuckles 325 a, 325 b. As shown inthe right-side view of FIG. 14, the coupler arm 120 also has a pair ofright coupler knuckles 330 a, 330 b that are disposed on the top andbottom of the coupler arm 120. The trailer front arm 115 has a centralright coupler knuckle 310 that fits between the right coupler knuckles325 a, 325 b.

FIG. 15 shows a side view of yet another embodiment of the trailer hitchsystem 105, wherein the trailer front arm 115 includes two or more lefttrailer knuckles 225 and the coupler arm 120 includes two or more leftcoupler knuckles 325. The trailer knuckles form a plurality of gaps inwhich the corresponding coupler knuckles can be positioned when thecoupler arm is in the stowing position. The right side of the couplerarm and trailer front arm can have a similar arrangement of knuckles. Itshould be appreciated that the spatial arrangement and quantity ofknuckles is not necessarily symmetric between the left side and rightside of the trailer front arm and the coupler arm.

FIG. 16 shows a left-side view of yet another embodiment of the trailerhitch system 105, wherein the trailer front arm 115 includes only asingle left trailer knuckle 225 and the coupler arm 120 includes only asingle left coupler knuckle 325. A single elongate shaft is collectivelyformed by the respective elongate shafts of the left coupler knuckle andleft trailer knuckle, wherein the single shaft can be the rotator shaftor the detent shaft. The right-side view can have a similar knucklearrangement.

Although embodiments of various methods and devices are described hereinin detail with reference to certain versions, it should be appreciatedthat other versions, embodiments, methods of use, and combinationsthereof are also possible. Therefore the spirit and scope of theappended claims should not be limited to the description of theembodiments contained herein.

1. A trailer coupler device for attaching a trailer to a towing vehicle,comprising: an elongate coupler arm having a front end and a rear end,the front end of the coupler arm configured for attachment to a towingvehicle, wherein at least a first knuckle is molded into a first side ofthe coupler arm rear end, the first knuckle having an elongate, internalshaft; an elongate front arm adapted to be attached to a front of thetrailer, wherein at least a second knuckle is molded into a first sideof a front end of the front arm, the second knuckle having an elongateinternal shaft, the first and second knuckles having elongate lengthsthat extend along the axes of their respective internal shafts; andwherein the elongate shafts of the first knuckle and the second knuckleare coaxially-aligned so as to collectively form a single, elongaterotation shaft sized to receive a rotator pin, and wherein the couplerarm can rotate about an axis of the rotation shaft when the rotator pinis positioned in the rotation shaft such that the coupler arm can rotatebetween (1) an operating position wherein the front arm and the couplerarm extend along a common longitudinal axis, and (2) a stow positionwherein the coupler arm is oriented along a different longitudinal axisas the front arm.
 2. A device as in claim 1, wherein the front armattaches to the front of the trailer via at least a weld.
 3. A device asin claim 1, wherein the front arm attaches to the front of the trailervia at least one bolt.
 4. A device as in claim 1, wherein a thirdknuckle is molded into the first side of the coupler arm rear end, thethird knuckle having an elongate, internal shaft axially aligned withthe elongate internal shafts of the first and second knuckles so thatthe elongate shafts of the first, second, and third knucklescollectively form the single, elongate rotation shaft.
 5. A device as inclaim 1, wherein a third knuckle is molded into the first side of thefront arm front end, the third knuckle having an elongate, internalshaft axially aligned with the elongate internal shafts of the first andsecond knuckles so that the elongate shafts of the first, second, andthird knuckles collectively form the single, elongate rotation shaft. 6.A device as in claim 1, further comprising: a first locking knucklemolded into a second side of the front end of the front arm and a secondlocking knuckle molded into a second side of the rear end of the couplerarm, wherein the elongate shafts of the first locking knuckle and thesecond locking knuckle are coaxially-aligned so as to collectively forma single, elongate lock shaft sized to receive a lock pin, and whereinthe coupler arm is locked in the operating position when the lock pin ispositioned in the lock shaft.
 7. A device as in claim 1, wherein thefirst knuckle has an annular wall surrounding the first elongate,internal shaft, and wherein at least a portion of the annular wallincreases in thickness relative to a remainder of the annular wall toprovide increased structural support.
 8. A device as in claim 1, whereinthe second knuckle has an annular wall surrounding the second elongate,internal shaft, and wherein at least a portion of the annular wallincreases in thickness relative to a remainder of the annular wall toprovide increased structural support.
 9. A device as in claim 1, whereinthe first knuckle has an outer wall that slopes toward a side surface ofthe coupler arm.
 10. A device as in claim 1, wherein the second knucklehas an outer wall that slopes toward a side surface of the front arm.